A Flash Flood of Flashbacks

/ Richard R. Barron

The summer of 2026 has been an interesting time for my small newspaper. We are in the process of moving our operation from East Main Street to the Mini Mall. Since our new home will have so much less floor space, the word went out that we could either use it or lose it, meaning that if we wanted to keep something, we could find room for it, put it in storage, or, in the case of all things photographic, take it home. Otherwise, it would get recycled or trashed.

This image was made 30 years ago, so this young man, who looks to be in his early teens, might have teenage children of his own.
This image was made 30 years ago, so this young man, who looks to be in his early teens, might have teenage children of his own.

When we moved to the place at 530 E. Main Street in 2019, we filled the place up with 11 staff members. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we all got really good at working from home. Some staff members left for personal reasons, such as getting married or moving away when a spouse found a job in another community, so our footprint has been getting smaller.

I have been making pictures of kids eating watermelon for my whole career. It is one of my go-to images at fair and festivals.
I have been making pictures of kids eating watermelon for my whole career. It is one of my go-to images at fair and festivals.

One thing I decided early on was that the photographic negatives from the first part of my carrier at The Ada News, 1988-2002, should follow me home, where I could find them when I needed them, but more importantly, so I can scan them and share them with you, our readers.

I am so glad I decided on this. I have been digging into files from those years, and have gone down so many rabbit holes of photography that is full of memories, both for you and me, and the history of our community.

I look forward to sharing it as much as possible in the coming months and years.

These people are watching something, but I don't have easy access to the newspaper from September 1996, so I would only be guessing. I shot it on Kodak T-Max P3200 film, so I'm sure it was an indoor event.
These people are watching something, but I don’t have easy access to the newspaper from September 1996, so I would only be guessing. I shot it on Kodak T-Max P3200 film, so I’m sure it was an indoor event.